The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-01-30
A New Style of Social Entertainment
Which Is Not Borrowed from Abroad.
Elegant Little Dinners at Separate Houses,
Followed by Dancing at Residence Pre-
VionSly Selected for the Purpose.
An Invention Which Will Enable Every
Woman to ShOWa Handsome Nose.
Doctors Who Are Unreasonable with Women
A Pensiye Girl Ruins Her Peace of Mind
by Summing Expedition.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal

Special to the Indianapolis journal
NEW YORK, Jan. 29-The dnner-dance is the
suddenly modish diversion among those who
make pleasure the chief object in life A dozen
matrons in tip.top society agree to simultane
ously give dinners in their separate residences,
and after the banquet the different companies
meet in one house for waitzes and quadrilles.
For wonder, this is not al imported device,
but was invented solely and originally by the
wife of young Perry Belmont. The first combi-
nation of dinners and ball had all the social
weight and brightness to be naturally gained
from its givers. who were Mrs. August Belmont,
Mrs. W. ". Astor Mrs. Levi P. Morton, Mrs.
Edgerton Winthrop. Mrs. Frederick Bronson
and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt. Priority of in
vention has been claimed for Mrs. Winthrop,
because ske gave ball last winter whereat some
of her guest had been invited to dinner earlier
in the evening, while some others chanced to
have dined collectively elsewhere; but, after
careful, exhaustive and judicial examination of
the evidence, am constrained to decide that in
Mrs. Winthrops case there was no definite in
tention, while the entertainment planned by
Mrs Belmont was fully aVorkedout and COM
plete affair I trust that l have settled the
question fairly and permanently.
The ante-dance dinners are careful affairs it
need scarcely be said, for they are inevitably
compared, contrasted and discussed by the guests
when they assemble Immediately afterwards.
Mrs. William Waldorf Astor's dinner, on the
last of these occasions, was for only twelve
couples. The long table had no cloth, the beau
tf,1l1v ho1 oh have
for strip of finely embroidered velvet through
the center, or which stood rare flowers in art
vases and wax candles in elaborate candelabra.
At each guests placs lay hand painted bill-of
fare, with his or her name not on it, but instead
q caricature portrait, by means of which loca-
tions we're made. These pictures did not dis
tort the faces, nor at all extensively exaggerate
any personal ceculiartties, but were merely big
heads on small bodies, and altogether rather
fattering than otherwise. They were exquisite
ly drawn by some clever artist, and one who did
not cars to be known as having done such utili-
tartan work, for no mark of his identity could
be discovered on the cards. To every lady was
also provided big corsage bouquet tied
with satin ribbon to harmonize with her
toilet A great variety of colors must have been
provided beforehand. and selections hastily, but
accurately, made by some expert after the ar
rivals, because no instance OF bad match could
be the table round The gentlemen got
button-hole bunches of flowers Mr. and Mrs.
Astor led the way into the dining-room, but sep
arated and took places opposite each other at
the center of the board. The rest found their
assigned chairs in pairs The feminine toilets
were beautiful and costly, but in no instance
oU1o IL L
at. The bodices were all low, and the arms
bare to the shoulders. To this there was no ex-
cepton. And no long gloves gave covering to
hands and forearms. A look across the ta5ce
| revealed very little of fabric, and so very
much of flesh, that the interspersed men in sol
emn white and black were necessary to convines
| the observer that this was really full-dress af
| fair
The repass began with raw oysters, tiny ones
| opened on the deep shells, the outsdes of which
had been FURNISHED until they were fit for jewel
| ry. They were not served on plates, but in
| frames of twisted and silvered wire, each ol
| these novel contrivances holding ten. The next
| course was clear soup in hand-painted dishes
| Boiled salmon, with white sauce and Parislar
potatoes came third. The fish was not brought
Such croekery has gone out of fashion with tn.
extremely swell and now it is not thought re
fined to have representations Of anything eatabl,
painted on dishes. Even flowers are not ap
proved for such purposes. The idea is that if
in lifting morsal of delicate food, rose SHOULD
be uncovered, the highlyeducated and acut
palate of the eater might be offended. CHECKER
croquettes and asparagus were fourth; mex.
small broiled birds; then fillets Of beef witt
mushrooms; then ices with cake and inall
coffee. It will be seen that no great rarity wa
afforded, but the cookery was perfect. The din
ner began at o'clock and lasted until II. Tai
occupied much of the time, but there was heart
eating generally, for it is considered stylish no,
for women to have robust appetites.
Was there alcohol in this dinner2 Plenty
! Total abstinence is not practiced in any swe
, New York family that know OF. A differer
wine was brought with every course And eac
wine had itsse parate and fanciedly apprcpriai
glasses. Chablis came in small glass, with
slender stem and concave sides-holding no MOI
. than good swallow, which was taken down
J cne gulp by most of the guests That was r.
! garded as an appetizer, and accompanied til
oysters. The soup was simultaneous with re
/ wiue tasting like Macon, and served in stemme
glasses whose sides were convex, thus holdin
! enough to sip slowly during the course Th
I fish was contemporaneous with rhenish win
8 in a green, thin bier, and, in this case, d
: : canters were left within reach Of all the diner
: so that reflling was handy. With the chickt
l. came red and white Bordeaux, in the origin
bottles. just after the beef rum punch "
| in inv rfc